This set of dumb tables lets you create a random one-shot game using characters from pop culture. It’s sort of like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, only with much dumber source material (we call the 80s TV version we run at cons “The League of Kick-Ass Dudes”). For these tables, I’m going to use the…
I didn’t post last week because I spent the early part of the week getting ready for Archon and Thursday night loading up the booth and driving to St. Louis. What was I working on for Archon? Mostly boring stuff: reprinting missing character sheets from the games I’d already run at other cons, counting and…
Once you’ve got an idea of the basic premise of the game and who the characters are going to be, it’s time to start figuring out what kind of world we’re going to need to accommodate them. As those of you who have bought just about any Hex supplement ever know, we like to call…
The last few months on the blog I’ve been rambling about creative projects, but most of my actual project time has been spent on re-working a game system, which (at least late in the project) is more about structure and math than creativity. So this week I’m going to take a break and give the…
I’ve been playing around with an idea for a cyberpunk game, so below are some tables with random cyberpunk Words for character creation. For cyberware, genetic tinkering, and high-tech gear, I’d probably use a system along the lines of the equipment rules from Fort High or All-Stars. Basically, if a piece of equipment alters the…
Even though most RPGs are based on other forms of fiction that are filled with crazy stunts and action-packed combat scenes, it can be hard to get players to try the reckless, million-to-one odds stuff. Unlike movie characters who can glibly say “never tell me the odds,” RPG players have the odds right in front…
Since I’ve been knee-deep in hobos and haven’t gotten around to posting a table in the last few weeks, I’m going to post 3 today. Use these to come up with an idea for a one-shot. The first table gives you the genre, the second the plot, and the third the style of the game….
To go along with the Reverb Gamers thing Atlas is doing, here are my answers to the GM Questionnaire from another blog. I couldn’t pass up a list with such as perfect number of questions. 1. If you had to pick a single invention in a game you were most proud of what would it be?…
The lawman is, as you can probably guess, someone who has sworn to uphold the law. Most lawmen are members of a recognized law enforcement organization, but there are a some freelancers (including some super-heroes and particularly law-abiding bounty hunters) who could be considered members of this archetype. Unlike the loose cannon, the lawman…
As the inhabitants of Hazzard County (where everything from property disputes to custody battles can be settled with a car race) know, it’s often handy to have an experienced driver on your side. The wheelman is the guy you want in the driver’s seat when you’re making a fast getaway from your latest bank job,…
